Harry (Harriet) Potter: A Cinderella Story
by ChronicMigraine007
Summary: Once upon a time, there lived a young maiden named Harriet Potter. Will she get her happily ever after once she is exposed to the horrors of the real world? femHPTR, (not slash), mid 1800's, non-magic, AU.
1. Chapter 1

Harriet Potter woke up to the feeling of long fingers pulling at her hair. She moaned grumpily and abruptly turned to her stomach, jutting her face into the stuffed pillow and sighing contently.

"Harri, Harri, wake up, wake up!" A small voice said near her right ear and she opened one eye sneakily, tilting her head slightly and suddenly exhaling, blowing a gust of morning breath onto her poor victim.

Jacquez's world spinned as he jerked back and wheezed out the dirtied air.

"Ew! That's gross! Now, you know better. Get up, it's time to start the day!" Harri showed no penchant for doing just that, and Jaq had an inkling of a better way to get her moving.

"Hey, did you know that the prince has arrived from Germany? The king is certainly pleased to have him back."

Harri sat up slowly and blinked the sleepiness out of her hazy green eyes. "Which part of this concerns me? It IS wonderful that the prince is back, but why does this justify a reaction?"

Jaq smirked coyly "Nothing at all- It doesn't, my dear sister, why I was simply luring you out of your sleepy state with idle talk!"

Harri ran her deft fingers through her long, black hair and glanced at the dull and dusty petticoat awaiting her. She smiled at her brother in fondness and said, "Silly boy. Alright now, shoo! I'll get dressed- _hopefully_ \- before the bells start ringing."

Jaq kissed her on the forehead before he left the room in search for his buckled shoes.

Once the door closed softly behind him, Harri sighed, her person deflating as she looked outside of her small, dingy window. Pink settled on the horizon and the sun was creeping over the edge of the hills, reflecting magnificently on the tall glass windows of the castle in the tiny kingdom.

Her gaze was drawn again to the ratty petticoat and she sighed again, walking towards her closet and getting dressed as quickly as a lady may. She tied up her long black hair with a green ribbon and rested an off-white bonnet onto her hair, masking it from view and giving her an air of modesty and propriety. Satisfied, she turned her delicately shaped nose away from the mirror and pinched her cheeks experimentally, feeling, rather than watching, color rush to her pale cheeks agreeably.

She nodded to herself and just turned to leave when the bells began to ring.

"Harriet! _Harriet!_ "

Harri grumbled internally at the use of her full name, but hurried to pull on her slippers and tie her apron around her small waist.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

She rushed down the spiral staircase, careful not to stumble as she finally reached the bottom. She wrenched open the heavy door and tore down to the kitchen to prepare tea and biscuits for her Aunt Antoinette and nasty cousins, Petunia and Drizella Tremaine.

As she performed the monotonous task of pouring the tea and preparing the biscuits, she lost herself in thought. Before the age of seven, she had a good natured father named James. Some may say he was handsome, and it was true, in the traditional sense of handsomeness that is. His rich voice and smiling eyes soothed and lulled young Harriet to sleep many times as he told her stories of chivalry and sacrifice. One dreary day in August found Harriet with a stricken expression, her small hands over her heart as she stared at the slumped body of her caring, gentle father over a stack of papers at his desk, a half-empty cup resting in one hand.

His body was buried a fortnight later, and the kingdom signed the large manor off to her uncle and aunt, leaving her uncared for and treated as a servant by her sour relatives.

Despite her troubled past, Harri learned how to push the negative emotions in herself deep inside and focus on the positives in life. For one, she had a very close friend, Jacquez, whom she had met in the streets, orphaned and two years older than she. When she brought him into the manor, her cousins immediately began to complain about the dirty child being in the same house as them, but her aunt was inarguably very skilled at deception and manipulating situations to fit to her needs, and let the boy live in the manor as another servant.

Years only brought them closer and they became siblings- that is, in the essence of the word. Jaq was fiercely protective over her, and for that she was extremely thankful and relieved. He was the light in her world.

Harriet snapped out of her trance-like state as she heard the wretched screeching that was her cousins' voices.

"Harriet! Bring up the breakfast!"

"Harriet! Hurry now!" The last voice was of her dreadful Auntie. Harri gathered her wits and pressed her eyelids closed tight. She blinked rapidly and picked up each plate, balancing the third skillfully on the top of her head. Harri peeked out of the screened wooden door and saw Jaq tending to the chicken and horses outside and smiled, thankful for the extra hand. Jaq felt her eyes on him and turned, waving cheerfully and accidentally scattering the brome hay. She burst into quiet giggles as he looked down and smiled sheepishly.

Mentally shaking her head at his silliness, for she could not physically, she treaded carefully up the stairs, throwing a stink-eye at the lazy cat curled up at the top of the stairs. She tiptoed around Lucifer, noting his tatty black fur and realizing Auntie 'Nett would probably add it onto her list of chores for the day, and sighed dejectedly.

The devil-cat never made it easy.

She set the trays on a table in the large hallway and swept the large curtain aside, tying it down to the hook on the wall. Light spilled into the previously lackluster hall and crept under the cracks of the first door, which she creaked open and took a tray inside of.

The first room was Drizella's. A tall window's light was blocked and she walked carefully, setting her tray on the bedside table.

"Drizella," she whispered, "Breakfast's ready."

The snooty girl turned to her back, where Harri could clearly see her short black hair and sleepy black eyes.

"Do the laundry, make the bed, turn the mattress, and get lost!" she shrieked piercingly.

Harri cringed at her high voice but dutifully said "Yes, Drizella."

She moved on to Petunia's room. Tray in hand, she inhaled deeply, preparing herself…

"Good morning, Petunia. Breakfast is ready."

Petunia's small eyes danced at the thought of sabotaging her daily life and happiness.

"Yes, yes, set it here…"

Harri did so, gulping quietly.

"Now, a few of my friends and acquaintances are coming over at tea time. Clean my room, dust _everything,_ turn the mattress, iron my clothes, and have tea ready by high tea time. 5:00. Am I understood?"

"Of course, Petunia." Her heart was racing. How was she going to finish all of these chores?

Then she remembered Jaq, and she calmed.

"Oh yes. And bring that horse boy here, I have some duties for him to complete."

Harri's heart sunk like a stone in a pond. "Yes, Petunia."

"Now leave my sight," she said, her free hand waving her away dismissively.

She hurried out of the room, sighing contently as the door closed. One more.

Picking up the last tray, she entered the last room slowly, her eyes darting around the area and jumping slightly as Lucifer slinked through the open door.

She narrowed her eyes at him, unbelieving of the fact that such a creature could act so horribly. The cat shot her a toothy, holier-than-thou, nasty smile and curled up in the darkness, blending into the shadows of the master bed.

Her Aunt's dark voice was heard out of the blackness.

"Set the breakfast down and look at me. Today, you are to do the laundry, make the bed, feed Lucifer, mop the floors, shake out the tapestries, straighten the tea-room, wipe the baseboards, water the plants, empty the waste bins, clean out the stables, gather the eggs, milk the cows, and get vegetables from the market." Lucifer grinned victoriously.

"Oh and yes, while you're there, buy Lucifer's bath oils and give him a shiny coat." Lucifer's face dropped and he cringed as if spoiled cream was presented to him.

Huh… spoiled cream…

Harriet snapped out of it and exclaimed, "Oh, but Aunt Antoinette, I wiped the baseboards and shook out the tapestries just yesterday!"

Antoinette shot her a poisonous glare. "Then you do it _again_ , you daft girl."

How completely unfair! Why she ought to… "Yes, Aunt Antoinette," she said, her teeth gritted together.

"Now leave me."

She left the room, then the hall, and raced down the stairs. How could a woman be so cold and cruel to her own blood? To her dead sister's daughter? Why couldn't she cherish Harriet like she did her daughters?

Harriet reached the bottom of the stairs and a sheen of glassy tears surfaced in her eyes. Frustration welled up in her being and she clenched her fists, attempting to calm her temper. It wouldn't do for a lady to lose her calm head in a crisis, and her fiery temper was one of the few attributes she gained from her mother, other than her striking green eyes.

Her heart squeezed painfully in its cage and Harriet took a calming breath, wiping her tears away before straightening up and heading towards the stables where she found Jaq. Jacquez was awaiting her instruction and Harri took the lead.

' _She is a natural leader,'_ Jaq thought wryly as she watched his honorary sister pace to and fro, her petticoat billowing in the imaginary wind.

"Alright, now. Today, we have an _unearthly_ load of chores to do. But we are strong individuals, and we'll get the job done right. We'll split our chores- I'll do the laundry, wiping baseboards, and all of the duties pertaining to the first level, and you can do the second level and tend for the animals, though you've already done most of that. I'll be heading to the market and then take Lucifer to the well for a thorough bathing. I will prepare everything for Petunia's society meeting and you can tend to the garden, clean the stables, and take a hose to the gables." Harri paused to look up at the roof of the house. "Why they do look absolutely dreadful!" she exclaimed.

Jaq chuckled, but put on a serious expression as Harri turned to shoot a flat look at him. "Oh, how dreadful!" he squeaked in a mocking manner.

Harri's eyes narrowed, and she turned her nose heavenward, saying quite pretentiously, "I haven't the sparest of time to speak to such… unripe youths."

Jaq raised a single eyebrow and said, "Well then, my lady, may I show you inside?" He bowed handsomely and she giggled when he winked at her.

"Why of course, Lord Jacquez, I am privileged to be of your acquaintance!" She curtsied sarcastically and thrusted her hand out, resting it in the crook of Jaq's elbow, and straightened swiftly.

Jaq snorted.

"Oh my, how unbecoming of you!" Harri said, slapping his elbow away.

Jaq laughed outright, and said, "Alright, drop it, my dear sister, it is unnerving to see you in such a proper state right before you are to go to do the laundry of your 'inferiors'.

Harri rolled her eyes, pushing down the rising sadness inside of her, and grabbed the laundry basket off of the floor.

"Ah. Speaking of such inferiors… Snooty wants to see you. She has a list of duties ready."

This was Petunia's code name. Snooty was Petunia, Drizella was Nasty, and Aunt Antoinette was Antsy Bonnet.

Odd, but so was the rest of her life.

Harriet took a cleansing breath in and out and headed back into the manor, beginning her list of chores as usual.

Little did poor Harriet know- her day would be most unusual.

 **Hello! Author here. If you have any suggestions for the plot, don't hesitate to leave a review or PM me.**

 **Thanks,  
CM007**


	2. Chapter 2 (Interlude)

Chapter 2 HPCS

Meanwhile, beyond the tall, reflective glass windows of the tiny kingdom's castle, the king of the land was pacing back and forth restlessly, fidgeting with his hands every-so-often. Before him was his duke, whose name was Sir Lucius Malfoy.

"My son is finally back from Germany, and I never want to let him out of my sights again! He has put his responsibilities as my son off for far too long, dabbling in the affairs of royalty in its place. I must see some progression!" He lost his footing in his frantic movements and nearly fell flat on his quite dashing face.

Sir Malfoy, without protest, pulled him up steady.

The king immediately started pacing again, stopped, and turned towards his loyal duke.

"Twenty-eight!" he said desperately, "Why, I was only eighteen when I married Merope, I was. Fresh out of my apprenticeship. Twenty eight and not a single grandchild!" He slammed his clenched fist onto the wooden table and it groaned under the force of the impact. Lucius blinked.

"This simply cannot do," King Tom Riddle I burst out, wringing his hands and pacing back and forth again.

The duke summoned up his remaining courage to speak. "Your majesty, If I may, perhaps you could hold a ball sometime in the future. Order the kingdom that every eligible female is to attend. I have no doubt that at the very least one would peak his interest."

The unconventional king seemingly ignored his words and abruptly declared "Aha! I have the greatest of ideas! I shall order every eligible maiden to attend a ball, after which my son will get married and finally have heirs!"

Sir Malfoy's silvery blue eyes rolled heavenwards and he opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by his superior.

"Yes, it's perfect! My son has been avoiding his responsibilities for long enough! It is high time he takes matters seriously and settles down. I have been patient, but time halts for no one, my dear duke, and I grow never younger."

"Perhaps you should leave him be? Mean I, in the matter of love?" Lucius approached hesitantly.

"Love?! Peh! If you speak like this, you know not my son! Tom is no being of love. Any and all romantic advances slide off of him, like oil and water, I do tell you! All he has care for is noble blood, and where do we find a princess worthy enough? His standards are far too high. He thinks of marriage in this way: Prince meets the noble maiden with a fair face and untainted soul, they get married, bear children, and she only raises a step of the class structure! Does he not realize that I was a merchant's boy when I met his mother, the princess at the time? That boy's blind prejudice will be the end of him, and is certainly grating on my last free nerve, I say!"

He paused mid-rant and shot a look at the duke and his closest advisor, who was struggling to look interested.

"You! You have a daughter, do you not?"

Lucius fought the scowl off his face. He huffed quietly, thinking of how his poor Draconis would react if he told him what the king said.

 _If._

"No your majesty, I have a male heir."

A strange gleam entered King Riddle's brown-red eyes before he decided against speaking his mind. The king of the tiny kingdom spoke again after a moment of terse silence.

"Issue the order. The ball must be by tomorrow evening."

Duke Malfoy nearly fainted.

 **Hi! This is a mini chapter, and it just serves to explain what's goin on on the other side of the story. I tried to mix the character of the king in Cinderella with what we know about Tom Riddle Sr. from the Harry Potter series.**

 **I'm really pleased with the positive feedback I got! Thanks for letting me know that you've enjoyed the story so far.**

 **CM007**


	3. Chapter 3

Harri's forearm muscles and stiff back groaned in protest as she finished wiping the baseboards. She stepped back and marveled over her hard work, nearly toppling over the bucket of soapy water behind her. Throwing the dirtied towel into the laundry basket, Harriet sighed and climbed up the staircase, looking for Jaq.

She found him scrubbing the already glistening floor, and when she coughed lightly, he looked up. She knew something was wrong.

"What troubles you so, Jaq?" she asked, sitting on the floor and facing him.

Jaq sighed. "The mailman came today."

Harri's eyebrows furrowed, as always when she thought through something confusing.

"And you got a letter stating bad news," she surmised. Her heart thrummed in anticipation as Jaq put down his tatty dust-cloth wearily.

"Francois Delacour accepted my application to develop Eu de Cologne Imperial product for Empress Eugenie de Montijo and his new shop. I must leave … today in order to get to France in a fortnight."

Harri's heart stilled. She set a shaky hand on his and cleared her throat, "How long will you be away?"

Jaq slipped his hand out from under hers and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The contract included a month of training, then three years of work."

Her tears spilled over and she let out a heart-wrenching sob, scooting closer to her honorary brother and gripping his hand with both of hers. Harri understood the importance of this new job to Jaq and to his future, but she faced an internal debate. How was she going to deal with life at the Mansion without him? She needed to push away this selfishness, she thought, as Jaq soothed her quite guiltily. She calmed herself and spoke around the knot in her throat.

"You will write, will you not? Once a week, I expect nothing less. And I understand… It will be very lonely without you here." _I will be._ It was implied.

Jaq smiled in relief, relaxing slightly and turning his clear blue eyes to his long-time companion. "But I know you can manage here without my help. I just tend for the animals on a normal day and sometimes fix up some parts of the Mansion with your father's old tools. Woodworking isn't that hard, and I'm sure you will catch on to it quick, even though it _is_ a man's job."

Harri rolled her eyes fondly and wiped away her remaining tears. "What time will you be leaving?"

"Three o'clock today."

It was already two.

"Well, we simply must take advantage of what little time we have left. Shall we, Jaq?" She presented her arm.

Jaquez smiled at his childhood nickname. "We shall." He took her arm, somewhat lady-like, and they set off to the attic, prepared to wreak havoc in the Mansion.

An hour and a rather feathery pillow-fight later, Jaq left Harriet with a hug and teary goodbye. Sniffling, she headed to the lower levels to take care of her _extremely_ lazy, but lovable, loyal, and brave dog.

She entered the kitchen and saw on the dirt floor the object of her thoughts fast asleep.

Harri rolled her eyes and trudged over, sighing at the drowsy-eyed dog.

"Ronald! Ron! Wake up!" she said kindly.

The dog whined and his brown ear twitched, but he was still asleep. She tried another tactic. Harri leaned in and lifted one floppy ear, whispering, "Hey Ronnie, I have your lunch ready…"

Ron's ear twitched again and he rolled over.

Harri sighed. "Oh well… I guess I just have to give this to Lucifer!" She smirked and watched Ron stand up at attention.

"Lucifer!" she called out, "It's time for your cream!"

Disgruntled, Ron laid down again and attempted to relive the wonderful dream he had.

Ten minutes later, his legs started kicking wildly, as if chasing something, and slowed down again. Harri looked at Ron in bewilderment.

"Ronald! It is three o'clock in the afternoon and you need to get up, _now!"_ she said firmly.

Ron huffed and heaved himself up, shaking himself out of his sleep.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Harri asked pleasantly. Ron nodded his head happily. "Dreaming about catching Lucifer again?"

Ron snapped his jaw at the air and barked contently, his big eyes sleepy.

Harri's smile turned into a scowl not a second later. "That's _bad,"_ she scolded.

She continued speaking as the half-netted door opened with a groan. "Yes, Lucifer _may_ be hard to deal with at times, and maybe he is a bit troublesome and mischievous. And yes, he does make more work and drink the morning cream so that there is no more left for my tea, but that doesn't mean he should be terrorized like that!"

Lucifer smirked behind his bowl of cream at Ron's glare and dipped his paw into his drink, swirling it around leisurely.

Ron growled and bared his teeth at the infuriating cat and privately vowed to get rid of him one day.

The chimes in the manor ringed, echoing across the empty halls. Harri, still in her apron, broke into a run across the empty floor and reached the foyer, wondering who it might be. Didn't the post already come?

She glanced out the window briefly and saw the royal carriage. Her eyes widened.

She wrenched open the door right as the man was about to knock.

The royal messenger, whose name was Neville, was on _her_ front porch… with a letter from the Duke. Harri's heart began to pound.

Mr. Longbottom spoke in a droll voice. He was tired of circling all around the kingdom and to deliver the same message to snotty mistresses. "By order of the King, there is to be a ball at eight o'clock today and every eligible mistress is to attend."

He reached into his messenger bag and procured a letter. Harri took it with shaking hands and let her thumb slide over the thick, expensive parchment. Her eyes grew in excitement.

"Thank you, sir," she said politely. "Have a nice day."

As Mr. Longbottom's carriage rolled away, Harriet glanced at the beautiful, pale blue castle and her smile widened. It was her _dream come true,_ and that dream was so close to her now. She could almost see herself walking down the marble steps, hand in hand with Prince Thomas, a glittering ring on her-

"HARRIET! WHO WAS AT THE DOOR?" Petunia's high voice shrieked and stopped her imagination. Yes, Harriet would always be the maid. Why, she was far from eligible- her status was below dirt itself. She was far too unworthy for such a high class gentleman.

Still, her mind was unwaveringly stubborn, and she held her head high.

"The royal messenger came to-"

"The Royal Messenger! Oh how _exciting!_ " Drizella interrupted. She snatched the letter out of Harriet's hand and ripped open the wax seal, her beady eyes widening as they darted back and forth across the print.

"PETUNIA! MOTHERRRR! THERES A BALL! LOOK, SEE?!" Drizella jumped for joy and brandished the letter in the air. It slipped out of her grip, and Petunia snatched it up, her eyebrows rising after every sentence.

She turned to her mother and held out the letter with a questioning glance, to which Lady Antoinette simply reached for it and read silently.

The prince needed a princess. Drizella could not contain her glee at the great opportunities this held in stock for her. To be a princess! What a life that would be!

She ran into her room and, after a brief moment of silence, waddled back out, her arms laden with a tower of cloth, sequins, and beads.

"Harriet, get this ready, and make it snappy!"

Harriet was about to turn and leave when Petunia spoke.

"Oh yes, go to my room and gather every pink and purple cloth you can lay your hands on, and have everything ready by six o'clock today. Also, cancel my social, I am sure everyone will hold me at no faults."

Harriet, struggling under the weight of the bundle, set the cloths down on the marble floor and went into Petunia's room, the blinding colors of purple and pink assaulting her eyes.

Five minutes later, she was walking up the steps for the third, and last, time.

How could she get this all done without Jaq? She set the clothes down once more as she reached her room and sat on her cot, resting her head in her aching hands. Harri thought about the letter, and how maybe her dreams will come true. Suddenly, she stood up, rushing to a small door connected to her room, and entered the attic.

The attic was small and dark, with one light bulb on its roof and a large, dust-covered chest on its floor. With difficulty, she dragged out the heavy trunk, kicked-up dust following, and unlatched the top. Inside was a pile of old clothes, and she knew exactly what she was looking for.

When Harriet became old enough to walk up the stairs, her family sent her up to the attic to live there in order to see her face as little as possible. In a way, it was a blessing, as Harri truly didn't want to see their faces either, however it became an extremely boring sort of life.

She finally found the dress she was looking for and held it up to the light. It was a beautiful, deep forest green with silver accents at the bottom and climbing up like ivy. It was absolutely breathtaking, and absolutely magical.

There was a backstory to this one, too. When Harriet's mother, Lily, was courting her father, his last gift to her was this beautiful dress, made of encrusted, gleaming diamonds and green silk. Her mother, she had heard, was ecstatic, but refused it as many times as polite before gathering it in her arms and kissing her soon-to-be husband on the hand.

Knowing the backstory from gossiping villagers, she, as carefully as possible for one as excited as she, tried it on and gasped as she looked in the mirror.

Her dark hair cascaded down her back as the let it go in shock. The dress fit nearly perfectly, if not too much. It clung onto her slim figure and brought out her shining eyes. She touched her fingertips to the beautiful diamonds.

She was absolutely astounded, and remained so until the clanging of the bells brought her mind back to earth.

"Harriet! Go to the market! I need more powder!" Her hands dropped, and she slumped down onto her bed.

Silly little dreams.

 **You guys are FREAKING AMAZING! I am SO sorry I couldn't get this done earlier, but I've been really busy...Thanks to everyone who Favorited and Followed the story, and everyone who reviewed, as well.**


	4. Chapter 4

***Hides***

 **I'm sorry. This is inexcusable. It's literally been almost a year. Like what the hell.**

 **Sorry.**

Soon after Harriet returned from the village for the third trip for powder as demanded by her step sisters, she was exhausted, sweaty, and in an awfully snappy mood, which was only worsened as she thought of all of the work that was to be done in order to go to the ball.

She tried to calm herself and zoned into her "working mode," during which she concentrated on nothing but cleaning in order to get the job done, and worked for hours on end. Harriet scrubbed the tiles until the shine came through, dusted the tapestries until she sneezed, and washed the clothes until her arms ached.

Every aspect of the situation was unjust. _I'm just a normal girl. Why should I be putting up with this?_

Three hours later found Harriet on the floor of her room, worn and sweaty. It was 7:15 and the ball was at 8:00. She looked outside her window and saw the dark carriage approaching the mansion. It was too late. Harri couldn't believe it- the most hopeful occasion has arisen, and she didn't get to partake in that occasion.

She looked back at her dress and sighed slowly, letting out all of the air in her body; she slumped down, resting her heavy head in her hands.

Her mind was at war. Although she wanted to go to the ball and find a new life, she knew that she had no time to get ready, and that she would have to walk by foot, since the carriage was leaving as she sat there. The uncouth, loutish side of her rebelled, and said _Get up, you foolish girl! You still have time to spare! Stop worrying and start changing! Just jump into the carriage and go!_

Then there was her more experienced, reasonable side. _The ride to the castle is at the least thirty minutes long. You would never make it on time unless you have a carriage, but at least you can walk._

Harriet raised her head from her hands and looked out the window again. Her step-family was walking into the carriage with their ridiculously large dresses , laughing delightedly at their good fortune.

 _Why am I not in that carriage with them? What makes me different from any other woman? What makes me unworthy?_

Her reason responded, and the comforting voice was similar to what Harri would have thought her mother sounded like. _Nothing is stopping you. Take advantage of what you have in front of you._

Harri stood up and took in a deep breath, gathering her strength and holding her head up high. They would not revel in satisfaction for making her stay. She would show resilience, because there is no point in sitting down and taking in the pain. No more wallowing in sadness. No more feeling sorry for herself. Harriet was independent.

She tried on the deep green dress once again; it fit perfectly and looked absolutely stunning with her coloring, and she felt a deep pang of sadness when she realized that the last person wearing this was her own mother.

Harri smiled and tore her eyes from the mirror, no easy feat. Hurrying, she slipped on her black shoes and applied a light coat of pomade on her lips before realizing that she had the whole house to herself.

That meant a whole world of freedom.

She ran down the staircase and across three halls before reaching her step-mother, Lady Antoinette's, room to grab her most expensive pearl powder, and once applied, she dabbed it off of her cheek area, leaving her natural pink glow to shine through.

She thought she looked absolutely lovely.

Harri ran back upstairs and tied her black hair up after grabbing her favorite white scarf, and checked the doors to be locked before she left the large house.

The moment she stepped outside and locked the front door, she was hit with a gust of chilly air. It was pitch dark and the new moon provided little comfort to her.

Nighttime roamings were dangerous, especially for females during the time wearing such clothing.

She kept her eyes focused on the path and her arms wrapped tightly against her frame when she noticed out of the corner of her eye two dark, burly figures walking in the same direction as she was. Their quiet conversation ceased when she was noticed and she turned her head again to see the first man more clearly. Upon both of their eye contact, the man grinned at her kindly and continued his conversation with the ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

Harri blushed heavily and looked forward again, her eyes wide as saucers at the sight she had just been privy to. Mortally embarrassed, she bit her lip, the only thing she could do to keep herself from giggling in excitement.

Because behind her was the prince of the Kingdom.

* * *

The prince behind her stood tall, with dark hair and dark eyes. He was unmistakably a prince, as his regal uniform indicated, and he was speaking to a man with long, pale hair. Harri listened in to their conversation.

The dark haired man spoke: "Couldn't you have just brought the carriage with you? It's an awfully long walk."

"I would have," the pale one said, "but all of the Royal carriages were sent off to be used by the invited families."

Although Harri couldn't see it, Prince Riddle raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Just how many people are coming to this welcoming party?"

The pale man spoke again, this time attempting and failing to mask his exhaustion. "Every lady in the kingdom."

Tom Riddle stopped in his tracks, making Harri, who was engrossed in their conversation, falter in her steps. She walked as slow as she could get away with.

"Lucius, this is absolutely insane. I will not partake in an impromptu marriage ceremony."

The man who Harri assumed to be Lucius hurried to explain "Oh it is nothing of the sort, the king simply would like you to expand your horizons while looking for a lady."

Riddle set his mouth in a frown, as seen by Harri, who was then turning a corner in the path. Ridde stole another glimpse of her face and his mouth twitched once more when he saw her eyes dart away from his face, as though she had been staring until that point.

"I am not interested in being in a tie at the moment, Lucius, don't you realize?"

"Why?" Lucius had to ask, and he had yet to rule out the option that the king had mentioned in their last meeting.

"Some women in marriage are just that: a chain. They give you no freedom. Very dull and boring."

Lucius disagreed. "That isn't completely true. Take for example Narcissa. She is an excellent mother but at the same time, an independent, strong willed woman. If you can find a lady with a strong mind and heart, surely it will do you well."

Riddle hummed noncommittally. He was not the type for an idle wife; he wanted a woman with whom he could intellectually banter...one who cared not about trivial matters and pursued an interesting life... one who took her own path yet remained loyal to him and to their marriage.

He looked up the path and saw a woman might be just like that.

* * *

Harriet was finding it increasingly difficult to catch her breath as she walked up the hill. She rubbed her upper arms to keep warm as the pushed on, encouraged by the castle's sight nearly a mile away. Harri wondered why the prince was walking with the man named Lucius instead of riding a carriage, and she wanted to ask so badly, but she restrained herself. She didn't want to make a fool of herself after first meeting him.

And so while she bit her tongue, she trudged up the hill and ignored the two men behind her talking about royal affairs. She reached the castle and heaved a great sigh, but right before she got to ask directions from a passing guard, the group behind her caught up.

Riddle gathered the courage to finally speak to the lady after a few minutes of undercover speech between Lucius and himself, disguised as politics talk.

He approached the woman just as she was about to speak to the guard.

"Good evening," He said with a smile, "Let me lead you to the ballroom."

Harri was fixing to have a heart attack.


	5. Chapter 5

**Just for reference, Tom Riddle in this story looks just like Chamber of Secrets Tom.**

 **Also, long hair was a sign of "intimacy and romanticism," although "respectable women" didn't wear their hair down after 15 or 16 because it was scandalous. I got the info from whizzpast dot com if you're interested in more info, and the reference link will be linked on my author bio! The age of consent/marriage/being an adult during the 1800s was 21, but it depended on if you were following ecclesiastical or civil law. Marriage under 21 had to be approved by parents.**

 **Thanks so much for your interest in this story. :)**

 **Onward!**

Harri knew Prince Riddle was born a charming man, with features seemingly crafted from the gods above with the best favor, the muscles of a laborer, and the stance of a gentleman. Yet although she was starstruck, she was also wary. The king's temper was infamous, and may show as a heritable trait if she angered him, but she had an inkling that it was not so. The man seemed gentle and generous, but Harri had to be sure about his character before she became completely enamoured.

Furthermore, she didn't even know if he was interested in her- and why would he, with his good fortune and blood, when there are so many more girls that are far fairer, leaner, and of better blood than she?

Harri uncaringly casted those thoughts aside and smiled winningly at Riddle, willing to act composed and as unaffected as possible.

Riddle was impressed.

"Hello, sir. I would love for some help! Thank you." She curtsied over his offered arm and took it, just like Jaq and she did when they worked together, mocking the nobility.

An example of which was then holding her. Harri wondered whether or not the man could feel her racing pulse beneath his hands, and if he did, he kept it to himself.

The man who Riddle named Lucius followed them silently, nodding at a few guards he seemed to be acquainted with, and caught up with the pair to speak with Riddle.

"Sir, I must go report your broken carriage and news of your arrival to the king. I will return shortly."

Riddle nodded, but then stopped, looking ahead at his doors. "While you are there, please tell the king to disassemble the throng of females at my personal quarters."

Harri unsuccessfully attempted to cover up her startled laugh. When Riddle turned to her, she raised her free hand and placed it quickly over her mouth. "Sorry!"

Riddle smiled amusedly. "No need to apologize. Your laugh is quite pleasing to the ears."

Even her step mother's most expensive pearl powder couldn't hide the raving blush the crept up her neck and pooled in her cheeks, and she damned her tied-up hair for not hiding her visage, as she would have normally done. She looked away and tried to control her breathing. _I can't believe this is actually happening._

Riddle noticed her blush and laughed, leading them both away from the scene of the obsessed ladies and heading towards a spare room. Harri let go of his arm and took the offered seat in a couch as Riddle left the room, promising to come back after dealing with "a few things."

She surveyed the large room as she made herself at home. It was about as big as one of the halls in the mansion, with a large bed, a couch set, and large glass windows with drawn, dark green curtains. The bed was laid out with silver and green sheets. It was absolutely marvellous.

Harri started to feel cold again, and thought about how she would get back home in time lest the rest of her family finds out that she snuck out of the house. She got up and walked towards a mirror, noting the small rips in the fabric of the dress at the bottom, and bit her lip. The dress was the only tangible evidence that her mother even existed. Her eyes watered, and she tried to calm herself down again, realizing that this was her chance to make a good impression on the royal family, and by crying like a wimpy little girl, she would make an awful one.

Harri did, however, take the ribbon out of her hair and let her hair cascade down her back. She gently combed her hands through the long black strands and pushed them back, making them neater and more manageable. She smiled softly; she loved the relaxing feeling of letting her hair down.

Just as she fixed to tie her hair back up, Riddle came back, this time shutting the door behind him to block out the noise of the hundreds of chattering women outside. When he looked up, his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Automatically assuming the worst, Harri hurried to tie her hair back up. "I'm sorry sir! I was just touching up, I didn't mean to- I mean, I didn't know-"

Riddle laughed again. "How many times will you apologize, darling? I was simply surprised! You do not have to apologize for anything," he said, admonishing her.

Chagrined, Harri was about to apologize again for apologizing when she caught herself. She laughed giddily. "Alright then. Why don't we sit down and talk?"

Riddle walked over to the couch and agreed. "Of course, however I'd like for you to introduce yourself before I do."

Harri paused before she spoke, realizing that she had to tell him about her life as a servant. She bit the inside of her cheek before she began. "Well, my name is Harriet Potter. I was born in the mansion up that hill to Lily and James Potter. My mother died in childbirth and my father died years later after marrying a second time, of unknown causes; that left the house to be inherited by my step-mother, who is… quite a character, to say the least. After she inherited the house, she made me the servant and I live in the attics with Jaquez, a boy who is as close to a brother to me as it gets. He's in France at the moment, because he found a job opportunity there. He has a bright future." She smiled as she thought of him, and didn't notice Riddle's frown and indignant expression.

"They absolutely cannot do that!" He stood up suddenly and started pacing, his words laced with resent. "You are the the last alive blood heir to the whole fortune!"

Harri stared at the man, bewildered. "Your highness, I'm afraid I am not yet of age and, since the law says the eldest member of the family holds the power, I cannot dream of taking that power away from my step mother, nor can I dream of her allowing me the inheritance."

Riddle privately agreed with her line of reasoning, but that didn't excuse him from being angry. Harri stood up and walked over to Riddle, her green eyes pleading him to calm down.

"It is very kind for you to show interest in my life. What about yours?"

Riddle sat down, this time on the bed, and Harri followed after a moment of hesitation, worried about what would happen if someone walked in to see her with her hair down on a bed with a Prince. She blushed at the thought.

Riddle crossed his legs on the bed after kicking off his shiny black shoes. Harri was hyper-aware of his every move, especially considering how close they were, and stared as heavily adorned blue suit moved away from her as he leaned against the headboard.

"My name is Tom Riddle. I was born here, obviously. My mother died of tuberculosis when I was six years old, but you probably already know that. She was the queen after all. I don't remember her too well, which is unfortunate, but alas…"

Harri understood what he meant. "Losing someone you didn't even know in the first place is difficult to cope with, mostly because you feel sorrow in the idea of the person, but not the person himself. It's a very curious situation."

Riddle looked at the lady in front of him and knew that she wielded a wonderful soul.

Harri and Riddle spent a few more minutes speaking when they came upon a different topic. By this time, Harri was sitting next to Tom, her dress flaring out around her and her back leaning against the headboard and feather-filled pillows.

"By the way, what matters did you have to take care of when you left?" she asked, picking at the rip at the bottom of her dress.

"Oh, that…" Tom blew out a huff of air in amusement. "I told Lucius and the guards to cut the party and send everyone home-"

"What?" Harri interjected, her eyes wide in panic.

Tom looked at Harri in concern, who was putting her shoes back on as fast as she could.

"What's the matter, Harriet?"

Despite her hurried state, she still stopped to correct him. "Actually, I would prefer you call me Harri. Only my step-family and old ladies at the market call me 'Harriet,'" she said, shuddering slightly.

Tom laughed delightedly at this revelation. "Oh, wonderful! Harriet it is!"

Harri slapped him lightly on the arm in play and Tom caught the hand right before she had the opportunity to extract it, holding it close to him.

"I had a wonderful night and hope to meet you again one day. I will send a letter with a guard in a few weeks time to find you again and we will surely speak in the future."

Wrinkles of surprise appeared on Harri's forehead as she said "Well, I certainly enjoyed this night as well. I would love to speak with you again. It certainly was an enlightening night."

Prince Tom Riddle bowed over her hand before kissing her knuckles and leading her outside, forgetting about the question that Harriet eluded so masterfully.

 **Reviews are appreciated, and thanks again for your support! Expect to see chapters going up a bit more consistently than last time :P.**

 **With so much love,**

 **CM007**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's a quite necessary mini-chapter for everything to make sense! From this point on, the story will become less based off of Cinderella and more based on themes found in Harry Potter.**

* * *

As Harriet rode back to the mansion in the dark royal carriage that Riddle had provided, she couldn't help but feel so incredibly giddy in her luck. How could it be, that a young servant girl like her would one day be on her way back home in the royal carriage from meeting the prince of the Kingdom? She felt absolutely spoiled.

And yet there was still something odd lurking about in that man's dark brown eyes. Once she actually thought about their conversation, as soon as Harriet spoke her last name, the man got a bit of a rigid air to him and then had a sudden pacing session after the inheritance was discussed. Something was definitely off.

Just as the carriage was pulling up- quite noisily, she might have added- she noticed a few lights on in the house.

Her step-family had already made it home. Harriet was in quite a pickle.

Harri climbed out of the carriage, thinking of ways to secretly find her way into her bedroom. After a few minutes of standing idle and wringing out her hands in nervousness and helplessness, she realized that it wasn't worth it. The ladder that Jaq always used was too short, her faith was too little, and the odds were stacked against her. Harriet walked to the ornate front door as silently as possible as the chariot was ridden away by the horseman. She could barely see her shoes in the dense darkness as she reached for the door handle silently and peeped open the door as quietly as possible, entering the well-lit entry way. She barely made it two steps in the house and had her hand on the door handle when suddenly, a loud, unwanted voice made itself heard, reverberating down the empty halls in the large house and distorting with space.

"Maow"

Harri froze, then deflated in relief. It was only Lucifer, the devil-cat.

She somehow climbed up flights and flights of winding stairs to her room silently and unnoticed, and changed out of the dress and into her old rags as soon as she got the chance to. When she finally had the time to sit down and untie her hair, like she normally did at the end of a long day, she noticed something.

Her hair was already untied, and her ribbon was gone. _I must have left it in the castle!_

Harri panicked for about half a second, but then realized that the situation wasn't as bad as she perceived it to be. This way, the prince wouldn't forget about her and all would be well!

Little did she know, that the Prince had his own thoughts about their situation.

* * *

Prince Riddle paced around the room back and forth fidgeting with a dark green ribbon in his hands as Draco Malfoy, the son of Lucius Malfoy, watched him obligatorily. His bored eyes followed Riddle's movements back and forth as he thought aloud about the young girl he had met that same day, relaying his thoughts to be heard and agreed upon.

"Fate has us fixed for ruin. Of all the ladies I had to have bumped into, it had to be the Potter girl."

Draco's eyes lazily followed Riddle's form as he turned around and walked to the right "Mmm."

Riddle continued as if he didn't hear Draco at all, curiously similar to his father's antics. "I mean, after the Secret Royal Agency was created, how was I to know what missions they were on? I was only a child when this happened after all…"

"I couldn't agree more," Draco said, obviously engaged.

Riddle bit the inside of his lip and continued, his speech slightly muffled "She doesn't have to know if I don't tell her, right? Whatever she doesn't know won't kill her."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Well in this case, it might."

He walked up to Riddle, causing him to stop in the middle of his pacing, and the blonde found his opportunity to insert his own opinion. "I think the right thing to do is forewarn her, lest she realizes of her own accord and draws unnecessary and premature conclusions."

Riddle turned his head to look out the window through the dense darkness to the manor atop the hill.

"She doesn't even know she's being hunted down as we speak."

* * *

The next morning, Harriet woke up to a piercing headache. She sat up on the side of her bed and gathered up her hair, stretching her hand out for her trusty green ribbon before-

 _Oh wait. The prince has my ribbon._

Harri blushed and smiled privately as she cut a new ribbon for her hair, this time a beautiful light shade of silver, to pull her dark hair up in. She slipped on her shoes and put on her apron before she left to go make tea and crumpets for breakfast.

Once she reached the kitchen, the first thing she noticed around the house was the unsettlingly eerie silence.

Then, there was a blood-curdling scream.

* * *

 **MUHAHAHA I'm an evil bitch, but I'm not sorry. Your hearts might break though. Review to let me know why you think someone screamed, and who was it that screamed...**


	7. Chapter 7

Harriet's heart dropped in the brief moment of dense silence. She fumbled for some weapon to use in the kitchen drawer sneaking towards the direction of the sound, painfully aware of her loud shoes. She kicked them off, breathing shallowly.

The young girl kept her eyes wide, as if she believed that would increase her visibility, and made a silent prayer as she entered the dimly lit foyer. The door was wide open.

Suddenly, a rough hand came out of nowhere and closed around her mouth. She panicked and dropped her wooden spoon and _kicked_ , her skirt flailing around her, while she tried to bite his hand. He grunted as she bit and slapped her with his other hand, dragging her into a dark carriage. Harriet pulled at the hand restricting her breathing with all her might and tried to scream, but all she emitted was muffled sounds in her panic to get away.

The unknown man growled as he ripped off sections of her dress and gagged her with the rags. "Nasty one, aren't you. Now stay still, it'll be over in a moment." He patted her cheek roughly and went to the front of the carriage to whip the horses and dash them away.

Harriet's tears spilled over her cheeks and the whites of her eyes grew red. She tried to release her hands from the knot and look outside the carriage to pinpoint where exactly she was going, but she gave up in frustration, surrounded in unknown stretches of forest and the darkness of the night.

Tom Riddle didn't feel very secure. He paced back and forth in his office, the eyes of Draco Malfoy and the knights following his every step, and stopped abruptly.

"I must go find her," he said in desperation, twisting the green ribbon he'd found that belonged to Harriet through his fingers. "I must go find the Potter girl. I know she's in danger." He gestured to the knights of Walpurgis and walked briskly to the front doors of the castle.

Draco followed him, walking faster to keep up with Riddle's long strides. "Er… sir, what of the kingdom?"

Riddle looked to him from the corner of his eyes, assessing, then declared, "You shall act as the prince while I am out. Do not pass any laws, do not leave the dog unfed, and do not break the chandelier like last time. No parties. I trust you to be responsible."

Draco hid his giddiness and walked with a new spring in his step. Finally, something interesting was going on in such a boring kingdom. "Excellent. I won't let you down, Tommy boy!"

Riddle sneered at him. "Speak that name again and I shall change my mind, dearest Draco."

The younger boy yielded and said, "Yes, alright. Have a safe trip!"

Riddle waved him off and climbed on the back of his horse. "Let's go, Salazar. We're running after the SRA." He pulled out a rag and let the horse sniff it, like a dog would, and Salazar whinnied and reared before kicking off at a run.

They had work to do.

Hours later, Harriet became more and more anxious as the carriage pulled her deeper into the dark forest. The sounds of wolves howling and the hoots of owls were eerie enough to prevent her from sleeping for many nights. The horses' hooves beat the forest ground in a steady pounding that had not slowed since she was kidnapped.

She still hadn't found out who had screamed.

Harriet's stomach growled and hunger ate at her insides. She clamped her teeth around the rag that kept her quiet and couldn't find it within herself to sleep. Judging by the position of the moon, it was about 3:00 in the morning.

The man navigating through the forest pulled out a bag filled with bread, carrots, fruits, and vegetables and devoured the bread. As he exclaimed how delicious the food was, he glanced behind him through the window at Harriet, who sat on the floor of the carriage in her ripped dress, fuming.

"You're a monster," she snarled, her green eyes burning.

Her kidnapper laughed cruelly, and said, "Oh yes, but you will meet a real monster quite soon. Don't you worry your pretty little head over it."

She huffed at being talked down at, and lifted her head and a show of defiance and in an attempt to retain some of her dignity. She noted the marks where mud had splashed on the window and a small bit of hope flared in her chest.

Maybe, just maybe, someone could save her.

Riddle stared at the empty mansion, his mind blank. The door was wide open. They were too late.

He climbed down from Salazar and twisted his family ring as he paced back and forth, waiting for the knights to finish searching the manor.

Rodolphus Lestrange reported back first. "There is nothing, your highness. I have searched the tower, as you requested."

Avery ran from the dark mansion, rushing towards his higher-up. "Sir, there are bodies!"

Riddle's jaw clenched and he held his breath. "Well then? Who is it? Take me there."

Avery hesitated. "Sir, it's quite a bloody mess. I would not advise—"

Riddle shot him a murderous look and leaned into the older man's trembling face. "Listen to me, you bumbling fool. I have killed many men in my lifetime, and I will not be cowed by a bloody murder scene. Take me there immediately or I shall use you as my new experimental toy in the dungeons. Now!"

Avery stumbled back and attempted to hide his shaking hands. He swallowed. "Yes, of course. Right this way, your highness."

Riddle stepped into the foyer, noticing the shoes kicked off to the side and the out of place wooden spoon in the entryway. He called for Pettigrew and told him to place those items into the carriage before continuing. He stepped carefully around the streaks of blood in what seemed to be the guest room and followed Avery through the halls to a dining room, where they both stopped in disbelief.

Riddle's nose crinkled in disgust as he took in the stench of death. Three bodies, all female, were piled atop one another and their remaining life fluids pooled down them like a fountain. This was a recent murder, maybe three to four hours old. Riddle told Pettigrew, who had been following him, to note that down, and he ordered all remaining knights to evacuate the manor.

He sent Pettigrew to the castle with his evidence to remain safe and went with the rest of the knights in the direction of the tracks of another carriage.

The tracks led to the forbidden forest. Riddle sighed wearily.

"Avery, bring me my tankard of coffee. It's going to be a long night."


	8. Chapter 8

Tom Riddle spent three grueling hours pursuing the tracks in the forbidden forest riding on his horse, Salazar. Well, his men did, Riddle just followed them.

The night was a thick black, with only the sparse glow of the moon and flickering light of the lamps to rely on for visibility. Tom kept an eye on the muddy wheel tracks that would save the girl's life.

He couldn't stop thinking about the Potter girl's beautiful hair, how he longed to run his hands through it. Her innocence was exquisite, her heart, inspiring. Her bright eyes captivated him, and the story of her life, even more so. And yet she lived the hard life of a servant that she need not live. Riddle set his jaw and vowed at that moment that he would find her, and kill the captor.

Salazar began to quickly tire and kick impatiently, as if he perceived some imminent danger. Riddle's eyebrows creased in worry and he patted his black horse gently on the neck.

"What's the matter, boy? Are you tired?"

Salazar jerked and whinnied louder, causing the knights to stop their horses and look back at him. The dark forest grew darker and the moon grew dimmer as the horses fidgeted and reared ominously.

Riddle looked to his men in desperation, trying to find a solution, when suddenly they heard a piercing howl in the distance rip through the dense air. Riddle's eyes grew and his breathing heavied as he fumbled for his Colt Model gun. He successfully loaded it before the men heard the crack of a twig nearby and a menacing, deep growl.

The men held their breaths as they watched the wolves emerge from the thick woods, growling and snarling fiercely. There were about eight of them, silver and grey and white alike, and they watched their prey as they grew closer and closer.

Riddle had an idea.

"Carrow," he whispered shakily, never removing from his sight the wolves, "remember code 78?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Carrow nod slightly.

"Let's put it in order... three seconds."

 _Two. One._

The knights and their prince shot heavily into the pack, simultaneously urging the horses to run as fast as they could. Riddle turned around carelessly on his horse to get a better shot and, after reloading, shot back into the pack of furious wolves they chased. He shot one down and laughed, exhilarated. "This is fun!" Riddle said, shooting into the crowd again and taking down another wolf.

Rodolphus spared the man a glance, then looked back to the ferocious, bloodthirsty beasts. "Of course, sir."

Riddle shot the last wolf, then signaled the others to slow down their horses. Adrenaline was pumping throughout everyone's veins and they took a moment to calm down before setting their minds back on their task.

Riddle's blood went cold. "We lost the track," he whispered, his heart pounding hard as he realized.

Any hope of finding the girl was gone.

* * *

Harriet stared out the window blankly, trying to stay awake. It wasn't hard, with the sound of howling and hoots and slimy things and cicadas filling her ears and providing great nightmare material. She tried to lay down on the carriage floor, but the rough jerking of the vehicle only caused her more pain. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to find a way to remove the ties on her hands, when she finally thought of something. _Of course!_

She shifted so that her kidnapper couldn't see her, then positioned her hands so that they formed a circle behind her back. She pushed herself through that circle, ignoring the pain this caused her, and held her breath as she climbed through that circle. Once free, she panted heavily and scratched a spot right above her eyebrow, where she had felt achy for a good two hours. She tried to chew through the fabric of her gag when she realized the carriage was slowing. Harri's eyes widened as she stared at her hands.

 _Oh well. With any luck, he wouldn't notice..._

The horses came to a stop in front of a gate and the man spoke to a guard in front of it, who took one glance at the girl inside of it, then nodded at the other guard. The man opened the gates and the horses trotted inside. Harri looked all around, taking in as much as she could about this alien place the captor was taking her to. Strangely enough, she didn't feel too panicked. She had faith that someone would see that the manor was deserted and hopefully come and find her. Hopefully.

The carriage came to a stop in front of the tall mansion and the carriage doors opened. The kidnapper pulled her out of the carriage by her ankles, ignoring her kicks and attempts to stop him, and pushed her roughly to move.

Harriet cringed as the rocks and twigs embedded themselves in her bare feet, but she trudged along when the man pushed her forward again. Wincing with every step, Harri stopped at the heavy-looking wooden doors and waited for further instruction. She was exhausted.

A tall, burly man with brown hair and steel grey eyes opened the door. He looked down at Harriet, who glared at him with her remaining strength, and beamed, then looked at the man who pushed her forward and said, "Well done, Zacharias. You may retire now."

Her kidnapper bowed to the other man and turned to Harriet, sneering. "Have fun, princess." Harri's brow furrowed as the man left.

She used the brief moment of silence as the man stared at her like some prized animal and planned her escape route. The burly man interrupted her thoughts, saying, "I've been waiting for you, dear. You look absolutely exhausted. I will send LeFou to show you to your rooms."

Harriet narrowed her eyes at him, disgusted. "Are you hungry?" he asked. He looked at the state of her clothes and said, "Oh my... let's get you some nice clothes and I'll get Yaxley to draw you a bath."

The strange man was seemingly content with the one-sided conversation he was having with the girl he held captive, ignoring her glares and obvious distrust. "Excellent then," he said, clapping his hands together and swaying on the balls of his feet.

"Oh how rude of me! I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Greyback. Fenrir Greyback." He bared his sharp teeth in a shadow of a smile. "Make yourself at home."

* * *

Riddle paced back and forth restlessly, fidgeting with the cuff of his dress shirt, as he tried to find a knights stared at him as he walked back and forth from tree to tree under the moonlight.

Rabastan pinched the bridge of his nose, then said, "Er...Sir... we can follow our tracks back from where we were escaping the wolves and then continue on the track of the Potter girl..."

Riddle looked at him. "…yes, obviously. Well then, what are we waiting for! Onwards!"

 **I got a really important PM from a reader who expressed concern over a rape scene. Don't worry, it won't happen. If it will, I'll put a warning down but it won't be in this story. Thank you for reading!**

 **CM007**


End file.
